Ranger Green
by The Middle Captain
Summary: A mission goes wrong and the team isn't ready to deal with the consequences. But what if your ghosts confronted you themselves?


They got me.

I just wanted to help get Dillon's sister, and I'm hit. Right in the stomach, I'm through. Dillon and Summer are freaking out, and there are humans here, I need to help them escape.

I remember.

"_Ranger Operator Series Green, if you ever get captured, or-"_

"_You think I'm gonna be captured? What do you take me for Doc?" Her glare pierces through me, and I shrivel. She's really scary sometimes for somebody so little._

"_This is a precautionary measure, Green. I have warned every operator and I WILL warn you. You will not let Venjix have access to our technology, and neither will anyone else. Now-" She takes my morpher, and I almost reflexively make a grab for it. I may be a screw-up, but I know what this responsibility is. She shows me a small button on the side, and presses it. The morpher pops open, and there's a small switch. She points to it. "This, is a kill switch, and it will release a large explosion, powerful enough to do significant damage to anything in proximity and destroy the morpher. You have to use a vocal authorisation code word that will allow the kill switch to be engaged. Please set it now, and keep in mind, it must not be something you usually say."_

"_Always with the sunny outlook, Doc."_

I'm bleeding, and I put the power cell into my morpher. "RPM! Get in gear!" I knew that this would be it for me. I pushed them out. "Listen guys, get those workers outta here, I'm gonna do something drastic." Dillon looks angry and confused, and Summer is panicking. I need them to get outta here.

"GUYS! Get going!"

"_Ugh." I sit down and look at the TV in the garage, and I sink into the lumpy easy chair. I doze for a while before Flynn shakes me awake. _

"_Come on Ziggy, I cooked dinner."_

"_I don't think my legs'll work, man."_

"_Hah!" He chuckles, and offers me a hand. "The trainin' sucks, but it's worth it." I take his offered hand, and use it to pull myself to my feet. "When I was goin' through me own trainin', I thought about quittin', and complained the whole time. It's always been me dream to be a hero, but I thought if I had the powers, the rest would come." He shakes his head. "It's a lotta hard work man, good on ya for sticking with it without gripin' as much as me."_

"_I don't think it'll be possible to gripe as much as you. You're so freakin' protective of that blender."_

"_Hey man, that's an antique! They can't make 'em anymore and you were grinding the motor!"_

_We laughed at that, water under the bridge between friends. And the dinner was great.._

"Ziggy! You can't be serious!" Dillon grabbed me by the arm.

I know that I won't come back from this. An injury this serious? This far from Corinth? I was in the wastes before, I know how this works.

"I'm hurt, but I can distract them for a while so you can get the workers out. Get moving!" Dillon's mouth turned into a small line on his face, and his brow furrowed harder than I'd ever seen it. He knew I was right.

"Ziggy don't be stupid!" Summer, always the optimist.

_I overheard them talking from the loft._

"_He's the worst possible person who could end up with that morpher!" Scott._

"_Give the kid some credit, he stopped Tanaya!" Dillon._

"_Dumb luck. He's not a fighter, and this is dangerous Dillon. We can't have a liability on the battlefield." Flynn. _

_The group argues for a while, Scott and Flynn against and Dillon protesting their gripes and complaints, each time Dillon's arguments getting weaker until I heard a softer voice._

"_Ziggy's a good guy. He risked his life to save that morpher, and he did that without a morpher, or a giant sword, or zords. Fighters can be trained, and anyone with the guts to do what he did deserves a shot."_

_The next day, I saw her in the kitchen, and I approached her. _

"_I heard what you said, Summer. Thanks."_

"_Don't thank me yet Ziggy. I only think you deserve a chance."_

"_Well… I won't waste it."_

"Listen Summer. I'm one guy, and there are at least a hundred humans here. Get those people out of here. I'll… hold them off." Dillon grabbed her arm, and she shoved it off. She was ready to protest, but I grabbed her and shook her. "THIS MATTERS MORE!" I look and see grinders, and they're getting closer."YOU NEED TO SAVE THESE PEOPLE!"

"Ziggy's right Summer. We'll get the civilians, and then we'll get Ziggy help." She looks conflicted, but nods. She runs to the human barracks. I grab Dillon's shoulder.

"_Scott! Grinders!"_

"_I got it! RPM! GET IN GEAR!" The red ranger smashed the grinders and threw the street saber like a sawblade at another advancing horde. He didn't see the attack bot move in behind him, so I shot it with my nitro blaster. He turned around and saw it. _

"_Good one Ziggy!" A thumbs up. I smiled in my helmet. _

"Listen dude, I…"

"_He's with me."_

"Ziggy. You're a good guy, and a better ranger. I'll be back for you after we take care of this."

"No Dillon. We're too far from Corinth for this to end with me being okay, and you know it. Take this, and give it to the Doc. I'm not coming back from this." I hand him the 4 engine cell. "Tell her, tell them all, thanks. It's stupid, but these months of fighting for humanity have meant more than anything I've ever done, and it's all thanks to you making an opportunity for me."

"That isn't stupid man. I… get it."

"Go help Summer. I hope you find your sister."

"I… bye, Ziggy.

"Seeya." I charge at the grinders. Out of the corner of my eye I see him run to the human barracks. My axe cuts into the first wave of grinders, and the movement sends fresh pain into my gut.

"_You're funny Ziggy!" _

"_Like SUPER funny!"_

_The twins laugh at one of my corny jokes before deploying to stop another attack bot._

The grinders keep coming, and after a few minutes, My vision is starting to blur. The lightheadedness keeps me woozy, and the grinders get more free shots in. I eventually fall of a platform onto some sort of lowered floor. These designs are weird. I eventually roll into water, and I guess it's like a coolant for the big computers.

"_Don't touch that!" She slaps my hand away. "These are very delicate experiments, and I don't have time to educate you on proper laboratory procedure!"_

"_No thanks Doc. I'm fine watching. I just wanted some Mr. Marshmallow." I point to the bowl next to the cluster of monitors._

"_Watching?"_

"_Yeah!" I grab some candy. "You get into this zone where you're all focused, and it's really cool. All this stuff is on another level, and just seeing the process and results are crazy awesome."_

"_You… like watching me work?" She looks a little pink. I hope I haven't pissed her off._

"_Well. yeah! I mean we're a team, and you know what I like, so I thought I'd figure out what you do. I don't much about how this crazy stuff works, and it's helpful to watch you put it together. But if you want me gone, I'll go though." I stand up._

"_No! I mean… I don't mind." She quickly turns around and resumes working. I sit back down, and watch, occasionally asking her a question. _

_It was a nice afternoon._

"Dillon, you need to take off that tutu."

"**Authorization accepted. Kill switch functionality enabled.**"

I open the morpher. I feel myself fading away.

"Heh. I guess I'm the big hero after all."

"**Self-destruct sequence enabled. Rev Morpher-01 will destruct in 60 seconds.**"

I'm so tired right now.

**54**

They'll win, I just know it.

**36**

I hope Dillon and Summer got those civilians out.

**21**

I wonder if I made a difference?

**15**

Grinders are looking for me. Persistent little scrap heaps.

**12**

I'm so scared right now.

**10**

I don't wanna die.

**9**

**8**

**7**

**6**

The grinders jump down and run at me.

**5**

**4**

I'm not scared anymore.

**3**

**2**

**1**

"_**GET IN GEAR, YOU MOTHERFU-"**_

**0**

"Alright Dillon, that's the last of the civilians, let's go back up Ziggy!"

_**KABOOM!**_ A huge explosion rocked the surrounding area. Summer screamed, and Dillon held her back, the debris from the factory falling around them. The explosion triggered others, and the refugees ran towards transports and Dillon's car. The group of a hundred escaped from the factory that day, and a hero died for what he believed in.

* * *

><p>Part One of Four<p> 


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